Hungarian animation celebrates a new international achievement: Fire in My Pocket (Lángbogár a zsebemben), the graduation film of Janka Feiner, has been selected for the Generation Kplus competition at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. Produced at the MOME Anim MA program with the support of the National Film Institute of Hungary, the film impressed the Berlinale selection committee with its distinctive fusion of stop-motion animation and digital 2D drawing.

Balancing delicately between reality and imagination, Fire in My Pocket follows a young boy who is tempted into mischief by a tiny, mischievous fire creature. Despite his father’s repeated attempts to set boundaries, the boy follows his new companion into a surreal, enchanted mushroom world. Here, freedom seems limitless – but actions still carry consequences. Ultimately, the story becomes a sensitive exploration of desire, responsibility, and growing up.

Feiner Janka, who graduated in 2025 describes the project as an experimental playground: “I primarily combined stop-motion with digital drawing animation. I saw this film as an opportunity to test unusual ideas and new techniques.” Her passion for stop-motion stems from its tactile nature: “Materiality, manual processes, and the ‘aesthetics of mistakes’ are essential to me – these are what make animation feel truly alive.” The Berlinale programmers praised the film’s visual inventiveness, calling it “a beautifully constructed, bold short film for young audiences,” and highlighting how the contrasting animation styles of the waking world and the imaginary realm enhance immersion – sometimes making the fantasy feel even more real than reality itself.

The film was produced by Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) with the collaboration of many current and former students. Sound design was created by Csaba Kalotás and Bálint Szabó, editing by Béla Balázs Award-winner Judit Czakó. Producers include Zsuzsanna Vincze and József Fülöp, with international distribution handled by the MOME Film Centre in cooperation with the Hungarian National Film Institute.

Fire in My Pocket continues MOME Anim’s remarkable Berlinale track record: since 2012, graduation films from the program have been regular selections. The new success joins internationally acclaimed works such as Réka Bucsi’s Symphony No. 42, Flóra Anna Buda’s Entropia, and most recently Mirjana Balogh’s Crystal Bear–winning Wish You Were Ear (2025) – further confirming the strong presence of Hungarian animation on the world stage.